Car-coupling



(No Model.)

CHL. DAHLBERG.

` *GAR GOUPLING. No. 251,839 Patented J a11'.*3, 1882.

NA PETERS, Phowulhcg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. DAHLBERG, OF DES MOINES, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO j i ROBERT N. DAHLBERGWOF KEOSAUQUA, IOWA.

CAR-COUPLING.

lSPEC,FICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,839, dated January 3, 1882, Application filed November 12, 1881. (No model.)

' lo all, whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. DAHLBERG, of Des Moines, in the county ot' Polk and State -of Iowa, have invented an Automatic Car-` Coupling, ot' whichthe following is a specilication.

iIhe object ofmy invention is to avoid the dangers and accidents inoidentto couplingrailwayrars by means of common links and pins. It consists, first, in forming alink that is adapted to be hinged to a draw-head in such' a manner that cars having one of my links at each end will be automatically coupled together by hooks that project laterally from the links and readily uncoupled through the. medium of levers that extend from the links in opposite directions from the hooks; second,in combining my link with a draw-head, a bolt, and a spring in such a mannerthat the spring in its normal condition will hold the link in line with thelongitudinalcenterot thedraw-head; third, in combining` a lever with my link by means ot' inflexible rope or chain to facilitate the uneoupling of cars, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l of my accompanying drawingsis a perspective view of my improved link. Fig. 2

- is a side view of a draw-head having one of my links attached. Fig.3 is a top View of two cars connected by means of my coupling and provided with my device for uncoupling without going between the ears.y Jointly considered, these views clearly illustrate the construction,

application, and operation of my complete in-s vention.

a a are the parallel bars of my link. Eachthe plane o, forms a cross-head. All the parts are preferably made of malleableiron and cast integral with each other. They may vary in size and configuration as desired.

p f represents the cavity in a draw-head of common form opened at its sides by cutting away the side walls. Y

`clined planes and levers c,

through the top and bottom portions, h, ot' the bifurcated front end ot' the draw-head, and `also through the perforations b in there-ar ends ot' the link-bars a., as required, to hinge the link in the cavity oi' the draw-head in such a manner as to retain it on its edge and allow it to swinglaterally. A

k represents a coil-spring surrounding the bolt g. Its upper end is fixed to or engages the draw-head and its lower end is fixed to or rests against thelink in such a mannerthat in its' normal condition the spring will retain the link iu direct line" with the draw-head, as required, to engage and interlock with a corresponding link carried by a correspondingdrawhead on another car. y

m m are levers extending downward from rock-shafts n, that are mounted in suitable bearings attached to the front portions of the cars.

rr represent hand-levers that extend at right angles from the outer ends of the shafts u iu such a manner that the shaft can be readily' rocked thereby, as required, to operate the levers m, that are iiexibly connected by means of cords or chains s with the ends of the inl that project. laterally and forward from the hinged links.

In lieu of the compound leverscombi'ned with the rock-shafts, hand wheels and levers of various forms may berused for imparting motion to the hinged links and swinging them laterally, as required in the act of unconpling.

ln the practical operation of my invention thus constructed and applied the lateral and forward projections or cross-heads, c d, at the front ends of the hinged links will always be, when the links are in line with the cars, in parallel position relative to each other at both ends of a car, or two or more cars on the same track, so that whenever the cross-heads or inclined projections of two links come together as two cars meet the links'will be pressed laterally and turned out of the way of the collid- V igg ends of the draw-heads, and the instant the cars and draw-heads are separated by a rebound the hinged links, actuated by the springs k, will swing back into line and inter- 2 Mesas lock, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of the hooks d,

that extend in opposite directions and pass through betwf en the bars ato reci procallyoverlap the planes @,that close the front ends of the links. The inclined planes thus serve to direct the abutting ends of two links whenever brought into Contact by the movements of one car relative to another car on the saine track.

To uncouple ears connected by means oi' my automatic coupling` mechanism, I simply seize one of the hand-levers r outside of one ot' the cars and turn it toward the end'ot' the car, as required, to rock the shaft u and actuate the lever m to draw upon the cord or chain s, and thereby pull upon the inclined plane e, that will serve as a lever in swinging the hinged link to disengagejt from its counterpart hinged to the adjoining car.

To couple a car provided with my improved coupling to another oar by means ot' a common open link and detachable pins, I simply form a second vertical perforation, t', in thedraw-head, as shown in Figs.2 and 3, and'swing the hinged link laterally and fasten it outof the way, so as to allow the common link tobe inserted in the cavity of the drawhead and secured by means of a pin passed downward through the perforations t', and also through the link.

I am aware that drawheads having laterally projecting hooks-have been hinged to cars to automatically couple cars;. but my manner of forming a link and combining and operating.

it with adrawhead and car is novel and greatly advantageous.

I claim as my invention- 1. The improved link for coupling cars, composed of the parallel and perforated bars a b and the cross-head or inclined-plane lever and hook c d, substantially as shown and described,

lfor the purposes specified.

,link having an inclined cross-head'- adaptedV toy perform the functions of a directinge-plainey and a coupling-hook at its front endf and perforations at its rearend, a draw-bar having a cav ity,f, at its front end, a pin or screw-bolt,}g,

a spring, and an operating-lever connected-with the cross-head of the link by means of a flexible rope or chain, substantially as shown and described, to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes specied.

CHARLES L. DAH'liBERGr.y Witnesses:

G. D. MILLER, CARROLL WRIGHT. 

